Removable body mechanism for trucks



2.8, 1931. w. A. DENEHIE 1,316,041

REMOVABLE BODY MECHANISM FOR TRUCKS Filed April 12, 1929 3 Sheets-'Sheet l July 28, 19371.

w. A. DENEHIE msnovALn BODY MECHANISM Foa Tnucxs Filed April 1.2. 1929 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 2s, 1931.

w. A. DENEHIE REMovABLE Bom MEcHANrsM Foa TRUCKS Filed April l2, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 rulli i- IE w@ tl Y Another Patented July 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM AUSTIN DENEHIE, OF `LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA i kRVEHMEOVZltIBLE BODY MECHANISM FOR TRUCKS Application mea Aprily 12,

This invention relates to devices for the loadingand unloading ofvehicles, and relates particularly to a device'whereby a removable body may be moved from a platform G5 to a'truck or from a truck to a platform;

ra securely locked inl placeV for transportation,

suchlocking meansoperating in conjunction withthe loading mechanism in such a manner as to be automatically locked when the body has been loaded onto the truck and un- Lao locked previous to the operation of unloadingk .fromthetruck to a platform.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described including means for guiding the removable ga body during its movementby theloading and unloadingmechanism, and means 'for preventing a relativeAV movement of the removable body relative to the truck during transportation. f

of this character in which the apparatusfor moving the removable body is completely separatevffrom and may be readily attached to any truck of a size to receive same.

, Other objects and advantages will be made evident hereinafter and with reference to the drawings, inrwhichy asimple embodiment of the invention is shown for illustrative purposesonly, and in which, f

f1.9 Fig. 1r is a partly sectioned elevational view showing my bodyy loadingmechanism and its relative position on the chassis of a truck, and a truck body partly moved thereonto. n "1. f

t@ Fig. 2 ,is ,anl enlargedelevation of the travtravelling head on a plane represented by the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

t frame of the body handling device. with the object isto provide `a mechanism 1929. kSerial No. 354,682.

elling head at the inner end of its travel, the

control lever thereof being shown in the neutral position which it assumes when at rest at the end of its travel. f Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the 50 head approaching the outer end of its travel. Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section through the case of the Fig. 6 is a plan view of the sliding plate which is located at the top of the travelling head. 1

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the supporting screw and head removed therefrom and shon7- ing the body sills in their relative positions when the body is nearly fully on the supporting frame of the handling mechanism. Fig. 8 is an elevation corresponding to Fig. 7 the rear end thereof being shown in section as indicated by the line 88 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a section on the plane represented by .he line 9-9 of Fig. 8, but with the holddown means fully engaged. Fig. 10 is a section on the plane repre-y sented by the line 10-10 of Fig. 8, but ywith the rear hold-down means fully engaged.

Fig. 11 is a rear end view of the supporting frame, with parts in section substantially as indicated by the line 11--11 of Fig. 1. f

For the purpose of simplicity in presenting my invention I have illustrated a single form thereof. In Figs. 1, 7 and 8 of the drawings 11 indicates a base or supporting frame consisting of side track members in the form of structural angles 12 secured together by cross angles14, 15 and 16, which support a central track consisting of smaller angles 17, longitudinally placed as shown. This frame 11 is an individual unit capable of attachment to the chassis 18 of a truck dagrammatically Villustrated in Fig. 1 ofthe lo drawings. On the front cross angle 15, in

position between the forward ends of the central track angles 17, a bearing block 20 ber-41 which-formsthecover for the case'35.

isV situated, and on the rear angle 16, in position-between the rearward ends of the central track angles 17, a rear bearing block is mounted, these bearing blocks being shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Extended between Ythese bearing blocks 2O and 21 and journaled therein, is a shaft 24 havingda right and left thread nectionzwiththe power unit of the truck, such as indicated bythe sprocket 26 and chain 27.

A travelling head 28 havingV small wheels 29 which engage theangles .17, ,is propelled by the shaft 24 through enga-gement of either the off split nut 30 or;k the:y ons'plit ,nut 31,- Vwhich are shown in 5, and each of which include anupper nut'half-portion Y32 and a lower half-portion 33. Laterally through `theuppen part'of thecase 35 of the travelling -head=:28 thereextendslau shaft 36, as shown 'principally `in'EFf-ig.'14,'1having'levers 37 `and 38 keyed on( the outerfen'ds'thereof, both of which'llevers are slotted. a-t39 'for engagement with vpins which .extend from the; sliding platei40swhichis carried on 'thev lslide inem- As shown-:inxFig 21, the'lever 37 has an upwardly extending. portion 43 r forming an operating handle throughwhiclrthe shaft may bepartlyl rotated lin Veither direction for the purpose ,of swinging the rocker beam 44 which is keyed thereon either in a direction to cause the upper 4portion 32 of the lsplit nut30'to lower intozengagenient with the shaft 24, orin'the opposite direction to cause the upperfportion ofthe split nut 31 to lower into engagement with rrthe shaft `24. `Gear segments' --45 v .extend downwardly vfrom the shaft36,-to which they are keyed, within the Case -f-intolengagement with Aupwardly eX- Y t'endinggear.segments 46 secured near the endsfofarlower shaft :47 which is journaled inthe-casef35 and carries a rocker beam 48 the lower half-portions 33 of the split nuts-30and3l on vitsrespeetive ends. The co-openating mechanismj ust described functions -t-ozfploduc'e an-engagement of :the-split nut30:with1 theshaft 24l when the lever137is 1 swnngzto t'hesleft as shown inlfig. '3,*which causes thefheadg28 to travelv inthe right hand or ofl'l direction indicated bythe arrow. 5()` or tofproducefan engagement ofthe split nut 31 with'the vshaft 24 whenthe lever is swungfto the right as shown in tllig. 1, which causes theslide plate 40. `lllhese-latch-dogs 58 -en-f head is moving in theon direction indicated by the arrow `51 of Fig. 1, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6, thus pullingthe body in Vtheleft hand direction which in this instance is onto the truck chassis. Vhen the lever 37 is swung in a right hand direction to produce a ,travel of the head`28 in the direction of the arrow 51, the sliding plate 4() is moved also in' a right hand direction on the slide member 41, and the reaction of the body 56 tothe pull of the head 28 holds the slide plate inv the positionv in'which itis shown in'Fig. l, with considerable force, with the result that the split nut 31 is held firmly engaged with the shaft 24; this same condition applying with regard to the nut .30 when the bod-yA 56--is being removedrfrom y the truck, with the exception that when the `head l28 is travelling in right hand direction, the hea`d 57 of the draft bar 56 engages a lug or anvil-f' 61 which-projects upwardly from the sliding plate 40, holding the sliding plate '40 `in leftward direction relative to theltravfellingf' head 28.

Projecting rearwardly fromV the sliding pla-te 40 arefbrackets62 forV supportlng a shaft` 63 carrying cams'64 and :Ln-operating handl'ef65`. vfThesecams `64engage yrollers 66 in the ends of slide'rods67 which are supported in lugs f '68 i extendingV laterally from the slide plate "4G-and connect at their rearward yen'dsrbell crank connections oreXten sions associated with 'the leftjhand latchdogs 58 as indicated at 69,so that by rotating the handle Y in clock-wise direction the cams may becaused'to force `in ythe slide rods 67 wherebylto swing the vlatch-dogs 518V into releasing positions asr indicated bythe dotted lines-70 ofFiglG. l 'Y -Onllugs 72 which extend longitudinally from the travelling head-28, latch ylevers 73 Yare pivoted'rat'74, and areraise'd or allowed to lower by lifting levers 75 which hinge upon screws "7 6-and engagethelatch levers 73 at 7 7, as showninFig 2. "'The inner ends ofthe lifting'leversf75 are engagedfby a cam segment 7 9,which isformed Von-a `slide''bari80 carried in theflower end 81 of the lever 37 and extends between the'lever 37;'and the face oftheItravellinghead 28. `The forwardly projeetingflug'82 ofthe cam segment 79 is arranged vtoerigage ya notch-83 -in a sector platev 84 securedto the face of the travelling head when'the'lever37 is iii central position yand the split "nuts 30 'and'31 are both disengaged fromthe shaft 24. VVVhenlthe lug 82 is Vin `the notchu83ythe camv segment 7 9'v is `in raised position and the latchl levers 7 3 are allowed to drop intothe'lowered positionsgin which `they are-shown in Fig. 2, in which positions theymay engage the respective lock blocks 85 or86,v depending whether the travelling'headsat'the inner or outer end of'its travel on the supporting frame 11. In Fig.

gigGbQhI-lilgthe head ,5.7 wheni;the-travelling` 2 the point Y 87 of VIVthe 4`leftwa'rd llatch @lever 7 3.i`sshown in*y engagementwith theinner lock block having notches cut inthe upper face thereof for this purpose. The blocks 85 and 86' are adjustably secured Vtofthe 'angles 17 by yscrews 88 which pass through slotted openings 89 in the blocks 85 and 86, so that the longitudinal positions ofthe lock blocks may be varied as conditions'may require.

i 11n 2 the travellingjhead 28 is shown Y in' its position ofrest at the inner end of the supporting' frame 11, the operating lever thereof bein-g in central position so that the 'split nuts 30,y and 31 are'ldisengaged from the shaft 24 and the latch lever v7 3 engages the lock block 85'. If'it is desired to remove the body from the truck by causing thehead '28 to move in f removed from engagement from the notch 83,

whereupon the upper end 43 of the lever 37 is swungin leftwa'rd direction so that the lever 37 then'assumes the position in which it is shownv in Fig. 3, the 'lifting 'levers 75 being kalso depressed at this time so as to raise both of the latch levers 7 3'. The swinging ofv the lever37 as described and the raising of the latchfl'evers 73 is accompanied by an anticlockwise kpartial rotation of the shaft 36 which, as previously described, results inthe closing of' the split nut 30 on the shaft`24 whereupon'the Vco-operatin'g thread system of the split nut 30 and the shaft 24 functions to n move Lthe travellingA head 28 inthe vrightward directionproviding the shaft 24 is at this time in rotation. Projecting from lthe lock block 8,6 is a stop screw 96 which-is engaged Y by the" lower endy 8'1- of the lever 37 as the head28 approaches the end fof its travel, and `whichstopscrew-96returnsthe lever 37 to neutral position, thereby opening the ,split nut 30 'so' as to' stop' the travelV ofthe head 28 andrto drop the rightward latch' lever 7 3'into engagement'with the lock block 86, it being preferable to have the latch'levers` 73 held in engagement with their co-oper'ative lock blocks 'byv any of the common forms of resilient means such as springs. The truclrbody may now be released from the travelling head by' opening the jaws 58, through operation of theflever 65, so as to free the'head 57 of the draftY bar 55. It'will be understood'that the loading of a truck body onto the truck is ac complishedby engaging itsv draft bar with the traveling head and then swinging the lever 37 in rightward direction so as to engage the split nut 31 with the shaft 24, whereupon "5 the truck.v f

the truck body will be pulled ,onto the supporting frame 11 mounted on ythe Chassisfof I have previously described means for locking the travelling head at the two eX- tremes of its travel, this making it possible to lock the truck body against longitudinal movement. In addition to this 1 provide means for locking the truck body against vertical and lateral movement. In the preferred practice of the invention, the truck body 56 is equipped with longitudinal sills 100, which are preferably parallel and engage rollers, such as shown at 101, in Fig. 1, which aremounted on the side angles 12 of the supporting frame 11. In Figs. 7 and 8 the sills are shown in their relative positions as the vertical and lateral clamping means are just entering engagement, such means consisting of forward interengaging members and 106 and rearward interengaging members 108 and 109. rEhe members 105` may conveniently consist of angles, as shown, with their klower legs extending outwardly from the forward ends of the sills 100, these outstanding legs 110as shown in Fig. 9, being in position to pass under the inwardly extending legs 111 of the angles which form the members 106, spacing means 112 being employed for supporting the members *106 in position on the side angles 12.

he members 105 and 106 are sloped inwardly and downwardly so that a double acting wedging action is accomplished to centralize the front end of the truck body and tok prevent any lateral movement, and to wedge the sills 100 tightlyr down relative to the side angles 12 which are firmly secured l to the truck chassis. In a like manner, the members 108 may conveniently. be formed of angles secured to the rearward ends of the sills 100 on the inner faces thereof with their lower legs 115 extending inwardly as shown in- Fig. 10, andy in such position being'arrangedto 'extend under the outwardly projectingy legs 116 of the angles mounted on the i framel 11 to serve as members 109, in positions within but adiacent tothe side angles 12. rlhese members 108 and 109 are sloped outwardly and downwardly to accomplish a compound wedging action forcentralizing the rearward end ofthe truck body and preventingall lateral movement, and for wedging the rearward end' of the truck body down rrelative tothe frame 11 so as to prevent vertical movement or vibration of the truck body when the truck is in operation.

The invention further provides means for levellingv they truck relative to the truck platform 120, Fig. 1 irrespective of whether' the truck body' is loaded or unloaded. or whether it is unevenly loaded. On theface of the platform'120 is a projecting structure 121 defininga horizontal plane, and under the rear end of the frame 11 is a co-operating structure 122 having a mouth 123 leading in'- toa pocket 124 having horizontal parallel side Walls 125. As the truck is backedup againstthe patform 120, the'enlarged por- -ftion 126- of the projecting structure 121 eny-terrs'the converging mouth'j123 of the co-operating structure122, and as 'the truck comes to rest the pocket 124 encloses theenlargement 1.26, vthus assuringl the bringing of the rear endof the truckframell to a predetermined rlevel relative'to'the. platform 120. Vertical vforces applied to the structure 122" due to the i weight on or lifting of the chassis'of the Y outer end 126 of thestructure121 by the non-y -sloping side walls' 125`of the pocket 124.

rlhe latch 'levers 73 as previously described, are adapted to swing downwardly into positio'nsin which they will engage their respectivenotched blocks 85 and 86, andY in order to operate in this manner may be made of such :weight that they will normally assume downwardly swung positions; kthe weight thereof also being sufficient to swing the members 75 insu'ch.direetionzthat the segment 79 will be normally lifted Vso as. ,tomake engagement with the ynotch 83 through use of the lug 82 with which the segment; is provided for such purposeof engagement. Or, as an alternative to this use of weight for the purpose of operating the latch'levers 73 and supporting the cam segment 79, any of the well known spring means mayibe applied to the latch levers 7 3, or to the shaft elements 74 on which the latch levers 73 would in such case be keyed or pinned, in a manner to normally force the latch levers y73 downwardly with sufficient pressure'tov hold them in operative engagement with their'respective notched blocks 85 and 86.- -f f It is tobeunderstood that the engagement at '77 ofthe'latch levers 7 3 with the lifting Y levers 75 is of such looseness as to ermitV o eration=of these members on their pivots in the manner described, it being preferable to use Vthe well known Vsliding engagement formedfby'apin or shaft of a screw passing through an elongatedhole or slot.

I claim as lmy invention Y s `1,. In apparatus ofthe class described: a truck having a longitudinally movable head and being adapted toreceiveia body.;5means for moving said head an attachment between said head and said body for moving said body on and off of said-truck;` and locking means operative between said head and said truck engaging at the extremity of the travel of said head for ypreventing longitudinal movement thereof. ,n V i 2. vIn apparatus of the class described: a truck having a'longitudinally movable head and being adapted to receive Ia bodyymeans for moving said head; an attachmentbetween said head and said body-for moving said body on and off of -said truck; locking-means operativebetweensaid head and said-truck, engagingzatfthe extremity of'thetravel of said head; alever device for movingsaid co-opervativeffmea'ns between operative; and inoperartive positions; locking 2means co-operative between f said headfand -said 'frame for i preventing movementV ofsaid 4fhead relative to saidA frame when said head is in intendedasta-v tionary- :positions and mechanism operating 1n conjunction' with Ysaidv lever device, said mechanism 'having a: cooperativelockmg part v:for engaging said lockingfmeans whenl said lever device isin its relative inoperative posi tion and for disengaging said' locking means .when V`saidy lever device is in= its relativeV operative-position.A .f

'4. Apparatus'as delined in claim 3, includingzfa truckbody; an attachment between said head and said body whereby said body willV be moved onandqof said framebysaid head ;=and automatically engaging meansgo'perating yat theendoftlie on--travelof `said body for v'securingsaidfbody on said truck. Y

5. Apparatus -as defined inclaim 3; including a 'truck body; Y an attachment Y between said head Vand said body whereby said body willbe' moved onand olf said-frameby'said head and slide' members Aacting downwardly andinwardly, "engagingat the :end of theon travel of said 'body whereby tosecure'fsaid body against verticale-nd4V lateral movement.

-6. .Apparatus as defined ink claim y3, rin whichfsaid mechanism includes a circular cam segment mounted on said lever adapted for extendedp'osition solas tol operate saidflocking f'means'wh'en saidleve'rdevicey is in its relativefinoperative position'.A Y ,j f

f7. `Apparatus asdeiined inclaim-3, including means for locking said lever' device-'in v its relativeinoperativeposition. f 'Y '8. In apparatus 'of the'classdescribedz-a truck frame having a longitudinallyI movable head; eo-operative -means 'ormoving-said head; a? lever device for moving said coi-operative meansl between operative and inop'erative positions; Va ratchet plate mountedl on said frameand adapted to be engaged when saidfmovable head is -at an lextremeof lits travel; a dog-for engagingsaid ratchet plate, said dog beingrconnected tofsaid head; and operating means for moving said dogtoand from engagement -with said ratchet plate.V

-9. In apparatus ofthe class'described: a truck frame-having a longitudinally movable head; yco-operative means Ffor moving said head; a lever device for moving said co-o'per;

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dog for engaging said ratchet plate, said dog being connected to said head; and means connecting said dog with said lever device so that said dog Will engage said ratchet plate when said lever device is in its relative ino 0 erative position and sothat said dog Will disengage said ratchet plate When said device is in its relative operating position.

' Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, this 10 15th day of March, 1929.

WILLIAM AUSTIN DENEHIE.

miy 

